Volkswagen Jetta dimensions

The 2012 Volkswagen Jetta is spacious and more cheap than ever. But there's also not a whole lot to help this sedan stand out against other more dynamic rivals. Volkswagen Jetta Diesel offers the following pros: Roomy dashboard and trunk; well-equipped; smart controls interface; economical diesel model. Volkswagen Jetta Diesel drawbacks are: Lackluster dashboard materials; sluggish throttle with automatic; numb steering; wheezy base motor.

The 2012 Volkswagen Jetta is a midsize sedan available in Base, S, SE, SEL and TDI versions. The Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen is reviewed separately, as is the performance-oriented GLI, which is a Volkswagen Jetta fitted with the Gti's sporty hardware.

The Volkswagen Jetta Base is a stripped-down model that comes with 15-inch metal wheels, performance locks and windows, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, height-adjustable front seatings, cloth upholstery and a 60/40 split-folding back bench. The S adds keyless entry, air-conditioning, power/heated mirrors and a four-speaker audio system with a CD player and optional stereo slot. Opting for an S model with a sunroof also gains a front center control panel and cruise control.

The Volkswagen Jetta SE gets a more comprehensive motor, 16-inch metal wheels, cruise control, a front center armrest and cargo compartment, a rear-seat center armrest, a cargo pass-through and luxury vinyl upholstery. The SE Comfort suite adds 16-inch alloy wheels, heated windshield washer nozzles, heated front seatings, a leather-wrapped helm, Bluetooth and a six-speaker audio system with radio and an Ipod interface. A sunroof can be added to the Comfort suite and with it comes a luxury six-speaker audio system with a touchscreen interface, SD memory card reader and a Six-cd changer.

The SEL contains all the Se's auxillary equipment (other than the sunroof, which is a stand-alone option), plus 17-inch alloy wheels, back disc brakes, foglamps, chrome look trim, keyless ignition/entry, manual front bench lumbar adjustment, a trip computer and a navigator.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI with its turbodiesel motor is equipped similarly to an SE with the Comfort and Sunroof packages. It gets the Sel's back disc brakes and trip computer as well. When equipped with the auxillary navigator, the TDI also gets foglamps, look chrome trim, keyless ignition/entry, manual front bench lumbar adjustment and the touchscreen navigation/stereo interface. .